Massive government debt is justified on many grounds, often from highly credentialed, well-educated, respectable people of good faith and character. The opposite, however, is often proposed by people with the same characteristics. Those qualities don't, by themselves, impart upon them the prize ...

Hopefully, the seventh time will be the charm for mixed martial arts in New York.The state Senate recently voted for the seventh straight year to end the state's ban on the sport.As the Associated Press noted, New York is the only state that still prohibits professional matches, though fighters ...

To The Readers' Forum:I've heard businesses squabble that the government has too much say in their business. Take minimum wage. Is it a godsend or a curse? A business any more is not only in competition for customers but workers as well. Some employers start their employees out at a decent wage ...

Our economy in northern Chautauqua County is struggling mightily. It appears Gov. Andrew Cuomo has heard our cries.State Sen. Catharine Young says Cuomo's schedule visit to Dunkirk today will be an "historic occasion."Cuomo is expected to discuss the $200 million project for Chautauqua County ...

To The Readers' Forum:In response to Pastor Neil Arthur's letter of Feb. 6, 2016, I would like to see just how and where he has adequate scriptural documentation to back his statement "... Christians are obligated to vote, stand up, and speak out and make their voices heard instead of sitting ...

The blame game was in full swing this week as Congress held hearings on the Flint, Mich., water fiasco. There, people drank water tainted with lead for months before anyone did anything to deal with the threat.On Wednesday, lawmakers heard a round of cover-your-behind accusations from local, ...

To the Readers' Forum:Thumbs up to everyone involved with the All-County Winter Music Festival held at Chautauqua Lake Central School Saturday night. The showcase of talent that took stage that evening was amazing. It was obvious the participating students had worked very hard to prepare for ...

With the nation's first primary election of the 2016 presidential campaign coming up in New Hampshire today, it is safe to say the college-student vote will go primarily to Democrat candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich is unlikely to receive much support on Granite ...

After Democrat voters caucused in Iowa Monday night, Hillary Clinton told reporters she breathed "a sigh of relief" at the results. She won, the Democrat contender for president noted.But not by much. With final results in, Clinton had received 49.86 percent of votes in the Democrat caucuses. ...

Is it any shock residents of Spring Street and the surrounding area are angry and confused about the Jackson Spring apartment complex?The 20 people who recently attended a Jamestown City Council meeting to voice their opposition to the potential apartment complex project have heard only ...

To The Readers' Forum:Recent articles printed in The Jamestown Post-Journal have highlighted school sports programs claiming the many positive attributes for students participating. I concur that each year in our area schools a few students excel and are given the recognition afforded their ...

To The Readers' Forum:I've been curious as to why local busing system around here is much more expensive as compared to other areas.Expensive as in not just money but the amount of time they're open throughout the day, the amount of times one can be picked up throughout the day and not being ...

Many years ago, for a college political science course, I had the pleasure of interviewing the mayor of Jamestown, Fred Dunn. We discussed many topics relating to being the leader and mayor of a small city and the challenges that came along with the job. One topic that was discussed was the ...

Our county legislators are about to take the Town of Ellery to court because they intend to expand the size of the county landfill, despite the objections of the Ellery Town Board.They'll also continue to accept wastes, including industrial wastes, from outside the county. The Ellery Town Board ...

How often do we hear that government should run like a business? The implication is that businesses must be efficient, deliver a quality service and be competitive to survive.Chautauqua County Government embraces these principles as evidenced by one such operation classified as an enterprise ...

Are you familiar with prediabetes? You should be if you live in upstate New York where we tend to spin the dial when we step on the bathroom scale. Excess weight correlates with a number of adverse health issues including prediabetes, a serious health condition that affects 86 million ...

Thumbs up to Kev Rowe, an area musician who continues to branch out and try new things. Rowe recently started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com to support his newest project, "New Album from Maggie's Farm," on which the former Big Leg Emma guitarist aims to acoustically cover music from ...

To The Readers' Forum:Isn't it ironic that Hillary Clinton accuses Donald Trump of being "ISIS' best recruiting tool?" After all, it was Clinton and Obama who shook the bottle and popped the cork.As a reminder, Christians are obligated to vote, stand up, and speak out and make their voices ...

Martin Luther King Jr. was an influential personality in American politics. He was a man on a mission to elevate the status of blacks in this country. Jim Crow laws from the late 1800s onward institutionalized and required discrimination against blacks in many states until they were abolished ...